9 Tips for How to Fix Mac Stuck on Apple Logo and Recover Data

Quick navigation - how to fix Mac stuck on Apple logo:

1. Wait longer
2. Force restart Mac
3. Boot in Safe Mode
4. Reset PRAM/NVRAM
5. Reset SMC
6. Repair startup disk with First Aid
7. Run Apple Diagnostics
8. Clean install macOS from USB
9. Install macOS update in the idel time at night

When Is Your Mac Booting into the Apple Logo Screen?

Whether you use Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, or iMac, they all boot with the Apple logo screen. It takes split seconds to boot up your Mac device, and a progress bar below the Apple logo shows you the status of your Mac loading.

Also, apart from starting your Mac, you usually see the Apple logo screen when your Mac is updating. The updates can last from minutes to hours, depending upon your internet and update size.

These are the two occasions where you usually see the Apple logo screen on your Mac. Let's see why your Mac stocks on the Apple logo in the upcoming section.

* Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to recover data from unbootable Macbook Pro, Macbook Air or iMac.

Why Some Macs Stuck on Apple Logo

Before you fix the issue, you need to know why your Mac is stuck on the Apple logo. Below are a few common reasons:

I/O devices: When any of your I/O devices such as mouse, keyboard, printer has problems, it can fail your Mac to load, and hence it sticks on the Apple logo.

Issues with macOS updates: When macOS updates, it can change many things in your Mac. If any application fails due to the macOS update, it can usually result in your Mac not booting up properly. (Do you need to stop macOS update?)

Storage Issues: Your whole storage can also get Mac stuck on the Apple logo.

Although there are many issues, these are the most commonly occurring ones.

How to Fix Mac Won't Boot Past Apple Logo

The earlier part of the article helped you understand when your mac boots into the Apple logo screen and why your Mac can get stuck on the Apple logo. Now, you will see how you can fix your Macbook Pro, Mac Air, or iMac when they are stuck on the Apple logo.

Note: The solutions listed below are in chronological order, from most accessible to hard. So make sure you follow them as they are listed below.

1. Wait longer

When you update your Mac or install any new updates, there is a possibility that it might take some time to boot up. So, make sure you wait for enough when your Mac is stuck on the Apple logo screen.

The wait depends upon what restarted your Mac in the first place. Sometimes macOS upgrades can even take hours. So, make sure you wait for enough before proceeding with other fix methods.

2. Force restart Mac

After you have felt you have waited enough, you can force your Mac to restart. Forcing your Mac to restart can help you fix the issue, and you may be able to boot your Mac after that.

You can quickly force restart Mac by pressing and holding your Mac's power button key for more than 10 seconds. Your Mac will turn off after that, press the power button again, and your Mac will reboot.

3. Boot in Safe Mode

Sometimes your Mac can have minor issues like storage problems or file system issues. Due to these issues, if your Mac can get stuck at the Apple logo screen, you can boot your Mac in Safe Mode.

Safe Mode can help you turn your Mac on, and after that, you can resolve the full storage or file system problems. Follow the below steps to Boot Mac in Safe Mode:

Step 1: Forcibly turn off your Mac using the power button. (See solution two if you don't know how to)

Step 2: Once Mac is entirely off, press your Mac's power button again and press and hold your Shift key from the keyboard.

Step 3: After some time, your Mac will load in the Safe Mode, and you will see the login screen. You can stop pressing the Shift key once the login screen appears.

4. Reset PRAM/NVRAM

PRAM and NVRAM are memories in your Mac that hold display resolution, time zone, and other system settings of your Mac. Sometimes a problem with them can cause your Mac to get stuck at the Apple logo.

Follow the below steps to reset PRAM/NVRAM:

Step 1: Turn off the Mac.

Step 2: Now press and hold the Command + Option + P + R key as long as you don't hear the Mac startup sound.

Step 3: Stop pressing the keys and reboot your Mac once you hear the sound.

It will reset the PRAM/NVRAM. If you can log in to your Mac now, go to sound and display preferences and make sure to set them on to default settings.

5. Reset SMC

SMC stands for System Management Controller. It is used in Mac to handle your Mac's power, fans, and battery. Sometimes resetting this can help you get rid of the Apple logo stuck issue.

Follow the below steps to reset SMC:

Step 1: Force restarts your Mac using the power button key.

Step 2: Now, you have to press and hold the Command + Shift + Control key for 10 seconds.

Step 3: After that, press and hold the Control + Option + Shift + Power button key on your Mac for ten more seconds.

After completing, try turning your Mac on again. See if that fixes the Apple stuck logo issue for you.

6. Repair startup disk with First Aid

Disk and hardware issues can cause your Mac to get stuck at the Apple logo. However, you can repair your startup disk to fix the problem. Follow the below steps:

Step 1: Enter recovery mode in your Mac by pressing the Power button also press the Command + R button.

Step 2: You will see the Apple logo screen, and after that macOS, utility window will come on your screen.

Step 3: Here, you have to click on Disk Utility. Once clicked, select your main startup disk.

Step 4: Click on First Aid and confirm the action to repair your startup disk.

7. Run Apple Diagnostics

The Apple diagnostics tool can help you check for hardware problems that can cause your Mac to get stuck at the Apple logo. You can check hardware problems by following the steps below:

Step 1: Remove all the connected devices with your Mac except the charging cable or internet cable.

Step 2: Turn off your Mac using the Power button.

Step 3: Press the Power key again and hold the D key from the keyboard until a choose-your-language screen appears.

After choosing the language, you will see a progress bar and a message saying, "Checking your Mac." Wait for it to complete, and after that, it will show you a list of errors and the error code.

You can note down the codes and search them individually. Then, resolve all the issues, and hopefully, it will fix your apple logo stuck issue.

8. Reinstall macOS

If none of the above methods work, you can reinstall your macOS. It can also help you resolve the Apple logo stuck issue. Follow the below steps to reinstall macOS:

Step 1: Turn on your Mac, press the Command + R key, and hold it.

Step 2: Select the Reinstall macOS option when you see the disk utility window.

Step 3: Wait for the installation to complete.

Once the installation is complete, turn your Mac on to see if the Apple screen issue is gone or not.

9. Install macOS update in the idle time at night

If your progress bar is taking too long while installing an update, you need to wait for more for the macOS to update. For example, users updating Mac with Big Sur 20+ have reported that their progress bar was stuck.

However, the Apple team has recommended installing your macOS update when you don't have any urgent work. So make sure you update your Mac at night or when you don't have any work on it.

How Recover Data from Mac in the Black Screen of Death

The methods mentioned above can help you fix your Apple logo stuck screen on your Mac. But, if all the methods fail, your Mac can be in a critical situation. Therefore, you need to rescue all its data and send your Mac to a professional for repair.

At the first attempt, you can use the bootable version of EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to rescue your data from Mac. It is an easy-to-use and reliable software that can help you to boot a dead Mac without accessing or booting up its macOS.

You can get all your files and data from your unbootable Mac device using this software. Follow the below steps to use EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac in Recovery Mode:

Step 1. Launch EaseUS Software in Recovery Mode

Select "Utilities > Terminal" from the top menu, and enter the command sh <(curl https://d3.easeus.com/mac/boot.sh). Hit "Return". Wait for the application to open, and it will take several minutes.

Note: If the Terminal displays either "No such file or directory" or "Could not resolve host," you should verify that the command line you entered is correctly spelled, ensure your Mac has a stable internet connection, and confirm that your macOS version is not lower than macOS 10.15.

Step 2. Select the Volume on Your Mac Hard Drive

Select the volume where your lost data is stored, and click "Search for lost files". The EaseUS software will quickly locate all the recoverable data on the selected volume.

Step 3. Choose the Lost Data You Want

EaseUS software categorizes the scanned recoverable data by file type and storage path. Find the data you want by clicking "Type" or "Path" in the left panel. Then, check the boxes in front of the data you want to recover.

Step 4. Recover and Save Data on an External Disk

Click the "Recover" button, and a pop-up window will show up saying, "Please select a target location to save". Choose the external disk as the new storage location of your recovered data.

Conclusion

Mac getting stuck on the Apple logo is a commonly occurring problem for Mac users. Many reasons can cause this error. Mainly it happens when you are updating your macOS.

But, there is nothing to worry about, as you can fix this issue by the methods mentioned in this article. Most of the methods are simple and do not require you to do anything additional to fix the Apple logo stuck problem.

If none of the methods work, you need to rescue data from your unbootable Mac. The best and most recommended way to achieve this is using Mac data recovery software from EaseUS.